Wide popularity in the world has acquired the so-called marathon tourism enthusiasts running unite part in the competition with a tour of the city. But currently running in Russia may result in the disqualification even in that case, if you’re a fan.
Journalistic curiosity
Artis Designs — the shifty journalist Latvijas Avīze, in 89 marathons. Participation in 90-m planned in late January in St. Petersburg, was obtained Russian visa. But Designs still decided to ask if it is possible to participate in competitions in Russia, given the fact that suspended in the international arena athletes of this country were forbidden to participate in the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, and almost every day there are new facts of systematic violations related to doping, in which, in all probability, the involved government agencies. And it turned out — impossible.
“The Russian athletics Federation disqualified. The Russians can hold competitions, but none of the foreign athletes to participate in them can not” — said the President of the Latvian athletics Federation (LLF) Guntis Zalitis. He noted that it does not matter, does the athlete in first place or just running for fun. Zalitis agree that it is wrong to equate the big sports and Amateur sports, emphasizing that in General it is wrong to mix politics with sports. “Why Latvia said, we won’t let the singers? It’s the same thing. The international athletics Federation (IAAF) said that disqualifiziert all Russian athletes. Got also one representative of Jamaica, that does not look so that you punish only Russian. However, I have a feeling that this is pure politics,” said the President of the LLF. He would like to see Russian athletes came to the competition in Latvia and Vice versa: “we with Belarus at the end of February, the competition teams U-20. It is a pity that they will not participate the Russian, who once came to us and were very good matches.”
It is not known exactly how long until temporary suspension of the Russian athletics Federation. “Perhaps, as long as no disqualifiziert all Russian athletes who won prizes at international competitions. Ineta Radevich after the disqualification of rivals became Vice-world champion in the long jump. It seems to be a happy event, but on the other hand not so much, because it happened at the expense of other athletes. Hard to say what would be in case of inspection of all tests,” said Zalitis.
Heard for the first time
Marathon in St. Petersburg Artis Designs missed: “did Not go, because I respect the laws, himself in the newspaper writing on the subject. Didn’t want to cheat and risk it, because then would not be able to officially start on any marathon. All the fans think that it is not the case. But from time to time on the Valmiera marathon was won by the lover of Christina Kuznetsova and was disqualified for the use of Meldonium. Anybody then did not care that she runs for fun. Yeah, I’m not a winner, but, in fact, there is no difference. I could win my age group and receive a prize of one hundred rubles.”
In St. Petersburg among seven runners who finished in the marathon, there were more than 30 foreign nationals, mostly from Belarus. But also participated in three Amateurs from Estonia and Latvia, two from Lithuania, were runners from other countries. “I first heard that it is impossible to escape. Nowhere it had no information” — surprised one of the Latvian participants. Guntis Zalitis acknowledged that LLF does not intend to study the protocols of the marathon, then to punish anyone, but if someone will be submitting an official application, it will have to respond with: “Hire a lawyer who will consider all the regulations, request additional information from the International Federation of athletics, the European athletics Association and then we will decide. Disqualification is one of the options, but it is not mandatory”.
Zalitis believes that the Russian fans can participate in the races in Latvia, the organizer of the Lattelecom Riga marathon Aigars Nords has a different opinion: “I can’t run the athletes included in the official lists of the IAAF, member associations of their country. But the ban does not apply to runners, as they say in English, ordinary fun (for fun), everyone can apply and run. At least this is the latest available to me information. Riga marathon among the Russian athletes — the second most popular after the Berlin”.
Latvian enthusiasts running not informed about the prohibition to take part in competitions in Russia. “I knew nothing and didn’t even think about it. This is material for reflection. To plan a trip in Russia harder than many countries because the necessary visa. It seems that runners in such questions usually don’t go out, so it would be nice if, for example, LLF will circulate any information,” said Stayer Janis Actins, who participated in many marathons, but also to overcome the heavy 246-kilometer distance of Spartathlon in Greece.
The ban also affects high school sports. “Our wrestlers and boxers quite often go to train to Russia, which-when it makes a volleyball team. Athletes usually go to Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic. But I didn’t know that it is impossible, because the Ministry of education and science, such information is not sent”, — said the Director of Daugavpils children and youth sports school Imants Winans.
In turn, Guntis Zalitis said that LLF is not obliged to inform each athlete on each ban. That is to say, ignorance is no excuse. But it should be noted that in the marathon in St. Petersburg did not run not a single Finn, and, in all likelihood, it’s not a coincidence, but a result of awareness. And, maybe, the Finns just did not want to participate in the race dedicated to the liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi blockade during world war II, attributes for runners wasn’t a stranger.
